42 EEPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1890. 



During the summer of 1889 Mr. Knowlton made collections of fossil 

 planes in New Mexico and Arizona, discovering eight or ter localities 

 from which fossil plants had not been before reported. His collec- 

 tions include a valuable and exceedingly interesting series of Triassic 

 plants from the copper mines near Abiquiu. He also visited the cele- 

 brated fossil forest in the vicinity of Holbrook, Arizona, where several 

 hundreds of acres are covered by immense trunks of fossil trees. A 

 large collection of fossil wood was obtained in this locality. He also 

 made a collection of fossil wood from the fossil forest at Calistoga, 

 California. On his return in the fall, he commenced the selection of a 

 series of type specimens from collections made in previous years in the 

 Yellowstone National Park. 



Section of Forestry. — Dr. B. E. Fernow, chief of the Division of For- 

 estry in the Department of Agriculture, has, as stated in the report for 

 1889, taken charge of the forestry collection in the Museum. 



It had been expected that the material used in the exhibit prepared 

 by the Department of Agriculture for the World's Exposition at Paris 

 in 1889 would be returned, and form a nucleus for a systematic Museum 

 exhibit. The bulk of the material was, however, at the request of the 

 director of the Jardin des Plantes, in Paris, turned over to that estab- 

 lishment by the representative of the Department of Agriculture. 



During the year five exhibits received through the Department of 

 Agriculture have been installed. To the panel exhibiting the forestry 

 interests of the United States, and referred to in Dr. Fernow's report 

 for 1889, two maps from the Census Bureau have been added. These 

 show the distribution of forest, prairie and plain, and of the different 

 forest types as described by Prof. C. S. Sargent. 



The collection of the woods of the United States, which was prepared 

 by the Department of Agriculture for the Cincinnati Exposition, has 

 been arranged in four cases. 



It is the wish of the curator to make a complete representation of 

 the arborescent flora of the United States, and also a comprehensive 

 exhibit of the more important timber trees, as soon as opportunity 

 shall be afforded. 



DIVISION OF GEOLOOY. 



Department of Minerals. — The appearance of the exhibition hall de. 

 voted to the display of minerals has been greatly improved during the 

 year. Prof. F. W. Clarke, honorary curator, reports that the collec- 

 tion has in a great measure been rearranged, and that a new installa- 

 tion of the gem collection has beeu commenced. A special feature of 

 the year's work has been the preparation of a large number of dupli- 

 cate collections of minerals for distribution to schools and colleges. 

 The distributions, which have already been made, are referred to in 

 the statement concerning the work of the Department of Registration 

 and Storage. Among the most important accessions are a large series 



